A Smile
by O-InkMage-O
Summary: She looked like she had something to say so BeastBoy settled back down and waited. Raven lowered her gaze to her hand as if summoning the courage from there. "BeastBoy? You-you know you're my best friend right?"


BeastBoy stared out over the city from his perch on the towers edge. The wind whipped around him and he tried to convince himself that it was because of that wind that his eyes were watering. It was lie of course but maybe if he fooled himself long enough the pain in his chest would subside.

He looked down at his hands which fiddled with each other, unsure of what to do. He snorted bitterly. Story of his life. His eyes sought out the outline of a certain building and he stared at it with a locked gaze. Maybe if he looked long enough Terra would appear….somewhere…somehow. Stupid school. Stupid Terra. He wanted to throw something in his sudden anger but having nothing readily available he deflated, miserable.

Was she ashamed? Could she really not remember? Did she even want to? Why would she? He was just a dumb green boy with stupid jokes.

"Hey."

The sudden voice scared him and he jumped turning around to see Raven at his shoulder. She was gazing out over the city the lights reflecting in her eyes that squinted at the wind. BeastBoy had been putting on an act all afternoon to the others until he could sneak away and he thought about bringing it back now but what was the point?

"Um…Hey." He had to clear his throat to try and get rid of the emotion that was evident in his voice before he tried again. "Did you uh….need something?"

Raven stared out a little longer than lowered her violet gaze to him.

"You're in my spot."

He looked around the entire roof, at every foot of open ledge that was available….….then did the wise thing and moved over. This was Raven after all and he didn't feel like paying Aqualad a visit. Raven gently lowered herself on the edge but there was a hesitance in her motions. An awkward silence enveloped them, stretching the tension in the air like a game of chicken. Who would give first?

It was BeastBoy. It was unusual and unsettling seeing Raven fidget like she was, so he resigned to head back in. He'd been out for awhile and the others might wonder where he ran off too. But just as he shifted to move Raven placed her hand on his arm to stop him. Her hands were gentle resting on his arm like a delicate weight. She looked like she had something to say so BeastBoy settled back down and waited. Raven lowered her gaze to her hand as if summoning the courage from there.

"BeastBoy? You-you know you're my best friend right?"

Naturally BeastBoy had the expected response and was COMPLETELY floored. Not only was this entirely out of the blue but it was never even something that had crossed his mind. The extent of their relationship had been; BeastBoy annoy. Raven yell. BeastBoy get hurt. Sure, he had assumed they may have reached some sort of friendship both having a mutual understanding of the other in general (aka Raven's limits and when not to push them) but this? Best Friend? Seeing his shock Raven seemed to relax with almost of ghost of a smile.

"You are."

"Um….Why?"

BeastBoy couldn't help it, this was too unRaven. Raven shrugged letting out a small sigh and staring off onto the city again.

"Oh different reasons….. but the main one is you're always there when I need you and thats kinda the point I'm trying to make…"

BeastBoy looked at her bewildered, but she wouldn't look at him. Her eyes flickered down to the land on their island below before she slowly began again.

"I know you loved Terra.."

BeastBoy could feel himself whiter, drawing inside himself. This had been the conversation he had been hoping so desperately to reason he had distanced himself from the others. This whole "My condolences" speech, because it just wasn't HELPING. Raven continued.

"I know you're hurting right now and above all do NOT want to talk about in which this is counterintuitive but I-I want you to know that…." She took a shaky breath after her very unRaven like word vomit. "I want you to know that you ARE my best friend and…...I want to be here for you however I can." Raven finally looked up and looked him straight in the eyes and with a final sort of resolution added. "Like you've been for me." Now it was BeastBoy's turn to avoid eye contact. That was…something.

Coming from anyone else it would have sounded like the usual flippant condolences. But Raven….she didn't DO flippant OR condolences for that matter. Saying that was putting herself out in the open and it clearly terrified her but she had done it anyway….for him.

Her arm hadn't moved from its spot on his arm and he looked at it with a small smile. Raven seemed to notice and started to remove it worried she may have overstepped a boundary when BeastBoy snatched it back. Holding it he waited till she looked at him before saying, "Thank you, Raven." And he meant it from the bottom of his heart.

Raven nodded with a sense of relief and was that a blush? She started up and headed off in the direction of the door. BeastBoy watched her receding form with a great sense of disappointment. He had liked the feel of Raven sitting next to him. Her lavender scent and watchful eyes. Before he could stop himself he called to her.

"Hey Raven!"

She turned and for once didn't have a scowl or mark of annoyance.

"Yes?"

BeastBoy locked gazes with her and for some reason it didn't feel like he was speaking rather the words were pouring out straight from his heart. "Would you stay with me? Just for a bit I mean?" She paused for a moment before nodding and making her way back to his side settled down next to him again.

"Oh and theres something else you can do for me?"

Raven looked at him with a caring eagerness.

"Anything?"

"You could smile I mean geez I've been trying to make you smile for years now but your immune to my amazing jokes! Give a guy a break!" Raven rolled her eyes an old familiar flicker of annoyance flashed across her face.

"Don't make me throw you off the roof."

BeastBoy did the wise thing and shut up. But he studied her with a small smile eventually she looked back at him and smiled back. Like ACTUALLY smiled. And in that moment, Terra forgotten, BeastBoy realized something he had kinda already known. Raven had a beautiful smile.


End file.
